McKay found himself at the center of backlash when the movie debuted on Netflix by writing on X that some of its haters were being “utterly ridiculous” and adding: “If you don't have at least a small ember of anxiety about the climate collapsing (or the U.S. teetering) I'm not sure 'Don't Look Up' makes any sense.” He ...

The film follows two scientists who discover an extinction-level comet heading for Earth, which they then attempt to warn humanity about. The makers of the film have publicly stated that the film is meant as a satirical metaphor for the response to the climate emergency.

Too many subplots, characters, and narrative cul-de-sacs prevent any buildup of tension or emotional investment. The film doesn't take itself seriously enough to be dramatic, but its subject matter and trajectory are hardly funny.

Grande, one of the world's best-selling music artists, appears in McKay's satire as pop star Riley Bina, which can be viewed as a heightened version of her own persona; Bina's break-up and make-up with on-screen boyfriend Kid Cudi's DJ Chello potentially mirrors Grande's - and other pop stars' - public relationships.